The Aspiring Home Buyer Profile is an in depth examination of the consumer preferences of non-homeowners, defined as those that rent and those that live with someone else (such as family or friends) without paying rent. The Aspiring Home Buyer Profile compares and contrasts the perceptions of homeownership, the American Dream, and housing affordability from the perspective of non-homeowners.

Of the U.S. consumer households that were surveyed each month in 2016, 64 percent of respondents were homeowners, 26 percent were renters, and 11 percent lived with someone else.

Of the non-owners, 59 percent were 34 years or under, 64 percent make an income of under $50,000, and 43 percent live in suburban areas.

For non-owners, the perception that now is a good time to buy a home was roughly the same across age, income, and city size, with the exception of the West region which was lower than all other regions.